THE OTHER BENNET SISTER: RICHARD E. GRANT AND RUTH JONES LEAD CAST OF NEW BBC DRAMA

Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey, Stella) will co-star as Mr and Mrs Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister. Produced by Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials, Industry), the series is an adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, in a co-production with BritBox International.

Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Richard Coyle (Heads of State) will play Mr and Mrs Gardiner, Mary’s worldly aunt and uncle. Laurie Davidson (The Girlfriend) and Dónal Finn (The Wheel of Time) also join the stellar ensemble as Mr. Ryder and Mr. Hayward, respectively - in this adaptation by screenwriter Sarah Quintrell (The Power). They star alongside the previously announced Ella Bruccoleri (Bridgerton) as Mary Bennet.

The Gardiners take Mary under their wing as governess to their three children - Marianne (Roisin Bhalla), George (Reggie Absolom), and Rebecca (Jasmine Sharp) - introducing her to an exciting new social world that includes Mr Hayward, Mr Ryder, and Ann Baxter.

This adaptation explores and expands the world of Pride and Prejudice through the often-overlooked perspective of Mary Bennet, Sarah Quintrell (The Power, Ellen) will write nine of the ten half-hour episodes, with Maddie Dai (We Were Dangerous) writing one episode. The series will be directed by Jennifer Sheridan (Extraordinary)and Asim Abbasi (Cake).

Based on Janice Hadlow’s acclaimed novel The Other Bennet Sister, the series introduces new characters to the world of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, including:

• Ann Baxter is played by Varada Sethu (Doctor Who, Andor)

• John Sparrow is played by Aaron Gill (Smothered, Piglets)

Viewers will return to Longbourn House to meet the iconic Bennet sisters:

• Jane is played by Maddie Close (Sunflower Child)

• Lizzie is played by Poppy Gilbert (My Oxford Year, Chloe)

• Kitty is played by Molly Wright (The A Word, APOSTASY)

• Lydia is played by Grace Hogg-Robinson (The Coroner, COBRA)

Other familiar Austen characters include:

• Caroline Bingley is played by Tanya Reynolds (The Decameron, Sex Education)

• Charlotte Lucas is played by Anna Fenton-Garvey (The Nevers)

• Mr Collins is played by Ryan Sampson (Mr Bigstuff, Brassic)

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: "It's a joy to see cameras rolling on our vibrant, witty and clever new take on Jane Austen's beloved world. With a pitch perfect cast led by Ella, Ruth and Richard, The Other Bennet Sister will be an irresistible treat for viewers when it launches on the BBC next year."

Jane Tranter says: “We have been working behind the scenes on The Other Bennet Sister for many years now, and Janice’s brilliantly observed characters have lived and grown in our imaginations throughout that time as Sarah has been working on the scripts. So, our actors had a lot to live up to - and I can honestly say that this is the ensemble cast of our dreams. Each one brings something new and exciting to the world of Austen. And all of us at Bad Wolf are delighted to be making a drama that brings such joy”

The Other Bennet Sister (10×30′) was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.